Debris Guard for a Blade of a Work Vehicle

ABSTRACT

A blade a work vehicle can include a moldboard for engaging material to be moved. The moldboard has a moldboard axis that lies laterally across the blade. The blade further includes a top wall adjacent a top portion of the moldboard a back wall including a pivot coupling for attachment to a hydraulic cylinder. The blade can include a debris guard the debris guard affixed to the top wall above the pivot coupling and aligned with the pivot coupling to shed debris away from the pivot coupling when the blade is operated in the forward direction. The debris guard can be welded to the top wall only along at least one line that is within twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis or that is within twenty degrees of parallel with the moldboard axis.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a debris guard for a blade of a work vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Blades may be attached to work vehicles, and used by the work vehicle to move material such as soil, aggregate, or trash. The blade can be attached to the work vehicle via a linkage and the linkage can include hydraulic cylinders. To protect the cylinders from material that may flow over the blade, the blade can include debris guards. The debris guards can be formed of a plate with a single bend to form a V-shape and may shed material away from the cylinders.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a blade apparatus for a work vehicle can include a moldboard for engaging material to be moved, the moldboard having a moldboard axis laterally across the blade, a top wall adjacent a top portion of the moldboard, and a back wall including a pivot coupling for attachment to a hydraulic cylinder. The blade may further include a debris guard affixed to the top wall above the pivot coupling and aligned with the pivot coupling to shed debris away from the pivot coupling when the blade is operated in the forward direction. The debris guard can be welded to the top wall only along at least one line that is within twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis or that is within twenty degrees of parallel with the moldboard axis. The line may be within seven degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis.

The blade can include a plurality of debris guards.

The debris guard can include a non-welded portion that contacts the top wall without being welded to the top wall.

The debris guard can include a raised portion that does not contact the top wall.

The blade top wall can include at a locating orifice and the debris guard can include a corresponding locating that fits within the locating orifice.

The debris guard locating tab can be positioned within the welded portion of the debris guard.

The debris guard can include two welded portions.

The debris guard can include a nose portion positioned on a first bend towards a leading edge of the top wall, first and second angled portions that extend away from the nose portion and towards a trailing edge of the top wall. The first of two welded portions can extend from the first angled portion at a second bend and a second of the two welded portions extends from the second angled portion at a third bend. The nose portion and first and second angle portions can be substantially free of welds to the top plate. The nose portion may contact the top wall without being welded to the top wall and the first and second angle portions can include a raised portion that does not contact the top wall.

The debris guard can be substantially free of welds to the top wall along portions of the debris guard that are not within plus and minus twenty degrees of perpendicularity of the moldboard axis.

The debris guard can be substantially free of welds to the top wall along portions of the debris guard that are not within plus and minus seven degrees of perpendicularity of the moldboard axis

The above and other features will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description of the drawings refers to the accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a left side elevation view of a work vehicle, shown as an example in the form of a crawler, with a blade including a debris guard;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the work vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rear side of an example blade for the work vehicle partially exploded to show the top plate removed from the blade, the blade disconnected from the work vehicle;

FIG. 4. is a perspective view of the rear side the blade of the blade;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation view of the blade;

FIG. 6 a cross-section of the blade along the line shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view of the debris guard and top plate of the blade;

FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of the debris guard;

FIG. 8B is a rear perspective view of the debris guard; and

FIG. 8C is a cross-section of the debris guard along the line shown in 6A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a work vehicle 100, having a blade 102, a left track 104 (right track not shown), an engine 108, and an operator station 110. As used herein, “left” and “right” refer to the left and right sides of the operator when the operator is sitting within operator station 110 and facing blade 102. Work vehicle 100 is illustrated as a crawler, but may be any work vehicle to which a blade may be attached, such as a backhoe loader, excavator, motor grader, skid steer loader, skidder, or wheel loader, to name a few examples. Work vehicle 100 may be used to move material, such as soil, aggregate (e.g., sand, gravel, rock), and trash, from one location to another location, to create a flat area on top of the ground, or to sculpt particular features or grades onto the ground, to name but a few potential uses. Work vehicle 100 may move material by pushing or pulling it with blade 102.

Work vehicle 100 may be controlled by an operator located in operator station 110. The operator may command work vehicle 100 to move forward, move backward, and turn. In the case of work vehicle 100, those commands are sent to hydraulic pumps, driven by engine 108, which direct pressurized hydraulic fluid to hydraulic motors that turn left track 104 and the right track. Work vehicle 100 may be powered by engine 108, which may be a diesel engine.

Blade 102 is positioned at the front of work vehicle 100 and may be attached to work vehicle 100 in a number of different manners. In this embodiment, blade 102 is attached to work vehicle 100 through a linkage which includes a series of pinned joints, structural members, and hydraulic cylinders. This configuration allows blade 102 to be moved up and down relative to the ground, rotate around a vertical axis (i.e., an axis normal to the ground), rotate around a longitudinal axis (e.g., a fore-aft axis of work vehicle 100), and rotate around a lateral axis of work vehicle 100 (i.e., a left-right axis of work vehicle 100), as further described below with reference to FIG. 2. These degrees of freedom permit blade 102 to engage the ground at multiple depths and cutting angles. Alternative embodiments may involve blades with greater degrees of freedom, such as those found on some motor graders, and those with fewer degrees of freedom, such as “pushbeam” style blades found on some crawlers and blades which may only be raised, lowered, and rotated around a vertical axis as found on some excavators and skidders.

The operator may command movement of blade 102 from operator station 110. In the case of work vehicle 100, those commands are sent, including mechanically, hydraulically, and/or electrically, to a hydraulic control valve. The hydraulic control valve receives pressurized hydraulic fluid from a hydraulic pump, and selectively sends such pressurized hydraulic fluid to a system of hydraulic cylinders based on the operator's commands. The hydraulic cylinders, which in this case are double-acting, in the system are extended or retracted by the pressurized fluid and thereby actuate blade 102.

The hydraulic cylinder system includes a pair of hydraulic lift cylinders 112, one of which is shown in FIG. 1 and both of which are shown in FIG. 2, that are pivotally coupled to the front of work vehicle 100 and to the rear of blade 102. For example, the lift cylinders 112 are mounted to either side of the front of work vehicle 100 and to the rear of the blade 102 using respective pivot couplings. FIG. 1 shows one of a pair of pivot couplings 114 on the rear of the blade 102 that are attached to lift cylinders 112. Blade 102 includes a pair of debris guards 116 for diverting debris that may flow of the top of blade 102 away from lift cylinders 112 and pivot couplings 114.

Blade 102 includes a moldboard 118, which can also be referred to as a front wall, having a primary blade radius about a moldboard axis 120 (See FIG. 6). As the blade 102 is positioned in FIG. 2, moldboard axis 120 is generally horizontal across the left-right direction, or lateral direction, of work vehicle 100, as shown by axis 122. As used herein, the lateral direction refers to the left-right direction of work vehicle 100 as measured relative to an operator sitting in operator station 110 and facing blade 102, as shown by axis 120, the longitudinal direction refers the fore-aft direction of work vehicle 100, as shown by axis 122, and the vertical direction refers to the up-down direction of work vehicle 100 as measured relative to an operator sitting in operator station 110, as shown by axis 126. As discussed further below, debris guards 116 are affixed to blade 102 to help reduce strains on the debris guards 116 when blade 102 is engaging material to be moved (i.e, in a loaded or operational state).

FIGS. 3-6 illustrate blade 102 has moldboard 118, a back wall 202, a top wall 204, a bottom wall 206, a left wall 208, and right wall 210. Moldboard 118 is positioned at the front of blade 102, and extends vertically and laterally so as to cover a majority of the front of blade 102. Blade 102 engages the material to be moved by work vehicle 100 when moving in a forward direction, for example soil, aggregate (e.g., sand, gravel, rock) and trash. In this embodiment, moldboard 118 includes cutting edge 212. Cutting edge 212 is comprised of portions fastened near the bottom edge of moldboard 118 so as to provide an adjustable wear part for blade 102. Cutting edge 212 may wear faster than the remainder of blade 102 due to the forces and abrasion it is subject to as the leading edge of blade 102. Once worn, cutting edge 212 may be removed from blade 102 and replaced, which may allow blade 102 to last longer than if moldboard 118 were subject to the forces and abrasions experienced by cutting edge 212. Cutting edge 212 may also be replaced with a part of a different design or material which may perform better, last longer, or be more cost effective.

Moldboard 118 is comprised of multiple members which are formed, for example by an industrial press forming curves into a sheet of material, and joined to create the shape shown in FIGS. 2 and 6. In some embodiments, moldboard 118 may be formed from a single sheet of a material (e.g., steel, iron, polymer) which is formed to achieve the proper shape. In other embodiments, moldboard 118 may be fashioned from separate sheets of material which are individually formed and then joined together (e.g., by welds, adhesives, fasteners) or are joined together and then formed after such joining.

Moldboard 118 is curved in multiple directions so as to create a concave surface. This curvature may help material being pushed by blade 102 to stay in the middle of blade 102 and allow material cut by cutting edge 212 to flow upwards across moldboard 118 and begin to curve back onto itself. This may reduce the amount of material which flows past left wall 208, past right wall 210, or over top wall 204 when work vehicle 100 is moving in a forward direction, keeping such material in front of blade 102 where work vehicle 100 may maintain control of the material. Blades of alternative embodiments may take on different shapes, such as a blade which is substantially flat.

Left wall 208 is positioned on the left side of work vehicle 100 at a lateral end of blade 102 and right wall 210 is positioned on the right side of work vehicle 100 at a lateral end of blade 102 opposite the left wall 208. Left wall 208 is approximately parallel to right wall 210, and both of left wall 208 and right wall 210 are approximately perpendicular to the lateral center of moldboard 118. Left wall 208 and right wall 210 are each affixed to moldboard 118, back wall 202, bottom wall 206, and top wall 204 by a weld, thereby creating a box-like structure with an interior volume. In other embodiments, left wall 208 and right wall 210 may not be substantially flat but may instead be curved or include angled surfaces, or each of left wall 208 and right wall 210 may be splayed so as to not be substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the lateral center of moldboard 118. For example, left wall 208 and right wall 210 may be oriented so that their respective normals cross each other a distance in front of moldboard 118.

Back wall 202 is comprised of a flat member positioned toward the rear of blade 102. In this embodiment, back wall 202 is a comprised of two flat sheets of steel joined together by welds. Back wall 202 is positioned at a distance from moldboard 118, creating an interior volume in the space between moldboard 118, back wall 202, top wall 204, bottom wall 206, left wall 208, and right wall 210. Back wall 202 is affixed to top wall 204, bottom wall 206, left wall 208, and right wall 210, for example by welds in this embodiment or by being included in the same formed sheet of steel in other embodiments. As a result, this interior volume is enclosed, or surrounded or bounded, by moldboard 118, back wall 202, top wall 204, bottom wall 206, left wall 208, and right wall 210, forming a box-like structure. Back wall 202 is positioned at a distance from moldboard 118, which results in no portion of moldboard 118 directly contacting back wall 202, and the minimum distance between the two is a longitudinal distance at approximately the vertical and lateral center of blade 102, where the curve of moldboard 118 brings it closest to back wall 202.

A number of other components are attached to blade 102 in addition to moldboard 118, back wall 202, top wall 204, bottom wall 206, left wall 208, and right wall 210. For example, pivot couplings 114 and other pivot couplings or pivot pins can be inserted into a clevis which in turn is affixed to back wall 202 by welds. These pivot couplings or pins provide pivotal connection points for the linkage, including pinned joints, structural members, and hydraulic cylinders, which attach blade 102 to work vehicle 100 and actuate blade 102. Force, such as the forces generated when moving material with blade 102, may thereby be transmitted between blade 102 and the remainder of work vehicle 100. Gusset 214 is affixed to moldboard 118 and affixed to bottom wall 206. Multiple gussets similar to gusset 214 are affixed to bottom wall 206 and moldboard 118 in a line from left wall 208 to right wall 210. These gussets provide multiple paths for the transfer of force from moldboard 118 to bottom wall 206 and the remainder of blade 102, thereby providing rigidity and strength to moldboard 118, particularly in the area of cutting edge 212.

As shown in FIG. 5, each debris guard 116 is positioned above one of the pivot couplings 114 in order to shed debris flowing over blade 102 away from pivot couplings 114 and lift cylinders 112. In this embodiment, the lateral midpoint 216 of the debris guard 116 is aligned with the lateral midpoint 218 of the respective pivot coupling 114. At their widest point, the debris guards 116 have a lateral width 220 that is wider than a lateral width 222 of pivot couplings 114, which helps to ensure that the debris that flows over the blade 102 falls away from pivot couplings 114.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the debris guard 116 is welded to top wall 204 along lines 224 and 226, which are defined by portions of the debris guard 116 as discussed further herein. Lines 224 and 226 are within twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis 120. Debris guard 116 is substantially free of welds along portions of the debris guard that lie on lines that are not within twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis or, in other words, debris guard 116 is welded to top wall 204 only along lines that are within twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis 120. The debris guards 116 are welded in this configuration to help reduce strains with the top wall 204 when the blade 102 is operated by the work vehicle 100 in its primary load condition, which is the forward movement direction from the perspective of the operator in operator station 110. The reduction in strain may allow for the thickness of the top wall 204 to be reduced in comparison to the thickness required were the debris guard 116 welded along lines outside of plus or minus twenty degrees of perpendicularity.

Debris guards 116 are formed of, for example by an industrial press forming bends into a sheet of material, and create the shape shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8A, 8B, and 8C. Alternate fabrication methods may be used and the debris guards may comprise multiple pieces that are affixed together.

Debris guards 116 have a nose 228, or nose bend, at the leading longitudinal portion, and two other bends 230 and 232. Non-welded portions 234 and 236 extend from nose 228 to bends 230 and 232, respectively. Welded portion 238 extends from bend 230 and welded portion 240 extends from bend 232. Welded portions 238, 240 define the trailing longitudinal ends of the debris guard 116, which may also be referred to as fins or tails.

Non-welded portion 234 includes a raised portion 242 that begins at bend 230 and ends short of the nose 228. Non-welded portion 236 includes a raised portion 244 that begins at bend 232 and ends short of nose 228. The raised portions 242, 244 are used as indicators during the welding process so that a weld is not placed along this portion of the debris guard 116. The raised portions 242, 244 are raised so as to provide this visual welding indicator without allowing a significant amount of debris to flow under them. Near the nose 228, non-welded portions 234 and 246 include portions that contact the top wall 204 without being welded thereon.

Welded portion 240 includes a locating tab 246 that is sized to fit within a locating orifice 248 within top wall 204. The locating tab 246 can be used during the welding process to help place the debris guard 116 in the proper orientation. The locating tab 246 extends down farther than the bottommost portion of welded portion 238. During the fabrication process, the locating tab can be placed in the locating orifice 248 and the welds can be placed along the welded portions 240, 242 on one, both, or any combination of the sides of portions 240,242 along lines 224, 226. The raised portions 242, 244 help indicate where the weld should end so that non-welded portions 234, 236 are not welded to top wall 204.

The debris guard 116 extends furthest from the top wall 204 at the nose portion 228 and the debris guard 116 extends the least from the top plate ends of welded portions 238, 240. In other words, the debris guard tapers downward in the longitudinal direction. The nose 228 and non-welded portions 238, 240 have a substantially V-shaped cross section to help minimize the buildup of debris on the top of the blade 102. Non-welded portions 238, 240 can be referred to as angled portions.

The debris guard may also be welded to the top wall along lines that are within twenty degrees of parallel with the moldboard axis, which can similarly reduce strain. Or put another way, the debris guard can be free of welds along lines that are not within plus or minus twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis and not within twenty degrees of parallel with the moldboard axis. Such welding configurations can also help to reduce strain.

In alternate embodiments, the debris guard may be welded to the top wall along lines that are within seven degrees of perpendicularity and/or parallel with the moldboard axis. The debris guard may be welded to the top wall only along lines that are substantially perpendicular and/or substantially parallel to the moldboard axis.

In alternate embodiments, the debris guards may include multiple locating tabs and the top wall may include multiple orifices. The debris guards may also omit locating tabs and likewise the top wall may omit an orifice. Alternate debris guards may omit the raised portions so that the debris guard contacts the top wall along its entire bottom side, where not the entire debris guard bottom side is welded to the top wall as discussed herein. The welds may be on one or both sides of the debris guard welded portions. Alternate methods can be used to affix the debris guards to the top wall, including the use of adhesives, and can be considered to be called welded as used herein.

The debris guards may also not be aligned exactly with the center point of the pivot couplings and may also be oversized or undersized (i.e., wider or thinner than the pivot couplings when viewing the blade from the rear elevation view) as is suitable to a particular blade.

The debris guards may also not be symmetric and can have alternate shapes suitable to shed debris that may flow over the blade.

The debris guard may be formed into different shapes and have different cross sections suitable to direct debris that may flow over the top of the blade.

Strengthening the connection between the debris guard and the blade can contribute to enhanced life of the blade. Reductions in the weight of blade can help reduce the cost to manufacture the blade and may contribute to enhanced efficiency of work vehicle by contributing to vehicle weight reduction.

While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description is not restrictive in character, it being understood that illustrative embodiment(s) have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected. Alternative embodiments of the present disclosure may not include all of the features described yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may devise their own implementations that incorporate one or more of the features of the present disclosure and fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A blade apparatus for a work vehicle, the blade comprising: a moldboard for engaging material to be moved, the moldboard having a moldboard axis aligned laterally across the blade; a top wall adjacent a top portion of the moldboard; a back wall including a pivot coupling for attachment to a hydraulic cylinder; and a debris guard affixed to the top wall above the pivot coupling and aligned with the pivot coupling to shed debris away from the pivot coupling when the blade is operated in the forward direction, wherein the debris guard is welded to the top wall only along at least one line that is within twenty degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis or that is within twenty degrees of parallel with the moldboard axis.
 2. The blade apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one the line is within seven degrees of perpendicularity with the moldboard axis.
 3. The blade apparatus of claim 2, wherein the blade includes a plurality of debris guards.
 4. The blade apparatus of claim 2, wherein the debris guard includes at least one non-welded portion that contacts the top wall without being welded to the top wall.
 5. The blade apparatus of claim 4, wherein the debris guard includes at least one raised portion that does not contact the top wall.
 6. The blade apparatus of claim 2, wherein the top wall includes at least one locating orifice and the debris guard includes at least one locating tab that fits within the locating orifice.
 7. The blade apparatus of claim 6, wherein the locating tab is positioned within the at least one welded portion.
 8. The blade apparatus of claim 2, wherein the debris guard includes two welded portions.
 9. The blade apparatus of claim 8, wherein the debris guard includes a nose portion positioned on a first bend towards a leading edge of the top wall, first and second angled portions that extend away from the nose portion and towards a trailing edge of the top wall, wherein a first of two welded portions extends from the first angled portion at a second bend and a second of the two welded portions extends from the second angled portion at a third bend.
 10. The blade apparatus of claim 9, wherein the nose portion and first and second angle portions are not welded to the top wall.
 11. The blade apparatus of claim 10, wherein the nose portion contacts the top wall and each of the first and second angle portions include a raised portion that does not contact the top wall.
 12. The blade apparatus of claim 11, wherein the top wall includes at least one locating orifice and at least one of the two at least one first portions includes a locating tab that fits within the locating orifice.
 13. The blade apparatus of claim 12, wherein the two welded portions each comprise a wall and each are welded to the top wall on both sides of the wall.
 14. The blade apparatus of claim 9, wherein the two welded portions each have an end side, wherein the debris guard extends furthest from the top wall at the nose portion, and wherein the debris guard extends the least from the top wall at the end sides.
 15. The blade apparatus of claim 9, wherein the nose portion and the first and second angled portions have a substantially V-shaped cross section.
 16. The blade apparatus of claim 1, wherein the debris guard is substantially free of welds to the top wall along portions of the debris guard that are not within plus and minus twenty degrees of perpendicularity of the moldboard axis.
 17. The blade apparatus of claim 1, wherein the debris guard is substantially free of welds to the top wall along portions of the debris guard that are not within plus and minus seven degrees of perpendicularity of the moldboard axis. 